1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spreader device for use in combination with a paper shredder.
More specifically, the invention relates to a device for cutting, mixing, compacting and spreading strips of paper discharged from a paper shredder.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Paper shredders usually include a series of rotating cutting tools for shredding paper into thin strips. Ideally the strips are so thin that they cannot readily be reassembled to form a readable sheet. Obviously, the thinner the strips, the less the likelihood that they can be reconstructed to form the original sheet. However, the cutting of very thin strips requires thin cutting tools, which are fragile and somewhat inefficient.
A solution to the problem is the use of a multistage shredder for slicing paper into strips and dicing the strips. Devices of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,805, issued to F. Oswald on Jan. 17, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,169, issued to Takefumi Hatanaka on Nov. 7, 1978. However, the patented devices are somewhat complicated, including a large number of moving parts. Therefore, such apparatus would be expensive to produce and in al likelihood require frequent maintenance. Moreover, neither device provides any means for removing shredded paper from the vicinity of the shredder.